Lightning-conductor.



UNITED STATES PAEEN T onirica.

LIGHTNING-CONDUCTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 7', 1907.

Application filed November l, 1906. Serial No. 341,524.

Be it known that I, IILLIAM II. McCUL- LOUGH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lightning-Com d uctors, of which the 'following is a speciiieation.

This invention relates to improvements in electrical conductors o'l' the class commonlyT termed lightning rods, and more particularly to the 'formation ol the connecting joints between two or more rods or sections of the woven wire or cable form.

The especial advantages secured by my invention are economy of time and labor in making the connections, and greater ethciency as electrical conductors obtained in that abrupt or sharp corners or angles are avoided, provision is made for `expansion and contraction of the conductor wires at the joints, and ample contacts are provided for the continuous i'low of the electrical iiorce or current.

In the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this application-Figure l is an elevational view of a terminal or point and its connected line conductor, as erected. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view on an enlarged scale showing my improved method of forming a connection between a terminal and a line conductor or between vertical and horizontal lines g Fig. 3 is an end view at 3 o'I' Fig. 4 slightly magnified; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view showing the connection or splice between two lines.

As will be seen from the drewving7 my improvement pertains to the hollow or tubular woven-wire conductors, in which a plurality of copper-wires are more or less loosely interwoven to 'form a tube as 8. These wires are so arranged that each constitutes a working line or conductive unit, and at the same time, provision is made for incidental contraction and expansion due to extremes of cold and heat. Because of the ductility ol" the copper wires and the fact that they are loosely interwoven, I am able with a very simple tool to press aside the wires at any given point and thus form an opening in the woven walls of the tube, large enough to re ceive the end of a separate conductor as 9 or l0 preferably contracting the inserted end to facilitate its passage through such opening, and for a short distance, into the conductor so open. Ordinarily the `frictional contact between the inserted portion of the one section and the enveloping portion ol the connected section, will be suil'iciei'it to maintain the connection, but if desired., some of the wires of the inserted section may have their ends bent outwardly and inserted between the wires of the outer section as at 13, or separate tie wires may be used.

To secure the main line conductor suitable clips 7 may embrace it and be fastened by nails or otherwise to the adjacent portion o'l the building as 5.

In the drawing I have shown a connection embodying a horizontal or main line conductor l2, a terminal line conductor E), and. a bracing and coupling section l0. The conductor l2 is opened at two points to receive the lower ends ol' the terminal 9 and the coupling IO, and the terminal is opened to receive the upper end of the coupling section thus eilecting connections at three points.

It is manifest that the insertion of one conductor section in another, will tend to stii'l'en the rod at the joint so formed, and thus promote the strength and rigidity of the conductor. It will also be apparent that by increasing the number of wires at such joints greater conductivity will be obtained, whereas, the joints when secured by metallic bands or coupling pieces either cast or stamped, o'iler more or less obstruction to the Ilow of the electric current and hence impair the elliciency of the entire conductor. The method of connecting the line and branch wires or rods above described may be adopted wherever a joint is presented, and lends itself pcculiarly to gradual or wide bends or angles, forming in e'l'lect, a continuous, unbroken and homogeneous conductor.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is l. An electrical conductor consisting o'l two or more sections each composed oi a wovenwire tube, one of said sections having an opening in the side and the other section having its end inserted in said opening.

2. An electrical conductor consisting of two or more sections of woven-wire tubing connected together, the end of one section being inserted through the wall of the other section and the ends of the wires of the insert* ed section being bent about the wires of the receiving section.

3. An electrical conductor consisting of a IOO line rod formed of Wires Woven to form a inserted through suitable openings formedin Io tube, ternunals each eonsrstlng or Wneswoyen the Walls ot the hne rod and the termlnal rods.

to form a tube, the ends of said terminals Conln testimony whereof I aflix my signature neoted wlth sind hne rod by nsertmg sume in presence or two Witnesses: throuoh suitable opennos formed in the Y Y Y' b C WVU LIAM H. MCCULLOUGH. 'Walls ot tue hne rod, and braces or couphng J seetlons V`]o1n1ng sold ternnnals mth sind llne Vltnesses: rod, sind coupllng sections ormed ot Wires W'M. B. MOORE,

Woven to form a tube and having their ends l F. BENJAMIN. 

